PRAGUE

Details CITIES OF THE MONTH
Text by UNA MEISTERE,
anothertravelguide.com
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La Magnanerie de Seillans
Nice
The Mastaba by Christo
The Mastaba, a massive work by Christo and his now deceased
wife, Jeanne-Claude, is on display in the courtyard of the Fondation
Maeght (623 chemin des Gardettes, 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence;
foundation-maeght.com) until the end of November. Standing nine
metres high, 17 metres long and nine metres wide, the installation
was inspired by ancient clay dwellings of Mesopotamia, which the
Ancient Egyptians later adopted as tombs. Christo and Jeanne-
Claude sketched the work more than 50 years ago, but this is the
first time that it was actually constructed. Made of bright blue and
orange industrial barrels, the gigantic structure harmonises with
the museum, the blue sky of the French Riviera, and the sun-baked
pine trees that surround you. Like all of Christo’s and Jeanne-
Claude’s work, this oeuvre is site-specific; it cannot be transported
to another place and will be dismantled when the exhibition closes.
Similar to a mandala, this is an aesthetic and intellectual experience
meant only for a single space in time.
After a complete reconstruction, another bright spot on the
French Riviera has come to life again. The Villa E-1027 (06190
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin; e1027.org), a Modernist icon, was
designed as a summer home in 1929 by Eileen Gray and her lover
at the time, architect Jean Badovici. Challenging the prevailing
Functionalist aesthetic of that era, Gray hoped to make the building
a living organism of sorts. She spent considerable time studying the
sunlight and breezes at the picturesque Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
cliffs, with Monaco glimmering in the distance.
All of the furniture within was designed by Gray, and the walls
are decorated with frescoes by Le Corbusier. According to one
story, Le Corbusier was stricken with severe jealousy when he first
came there, seeing how a woman had built a house in a style he
had thought all his own, and he painted the frescoes as a jarring
contrast to spite her. Nearby is Le Corbusier’s own cottage and the
bar and restaurant that he frequented, the Etoile de Mer. A visit to
this building, nicknamed “Cap Moderne”, is something of a sacred
pilgrimage to architects. The significance of the place is perhaps
enhanced by the fact that Le Corbusier drowned near E-1027 in
August 1965, having suffered a heart attack while swimming.
If you are seeking a place to stay that goes well with your
cultural investigations, then it’s worth going to the little village
of Seillans. It’s only an hour from Nice and ranks high on the list
of the loveliest villages in France. This is where German artist Max
Ernst spent the last decade of his life. There is a small museum
devoted to Ernst, with about a hundred original lithographs.
La Magnanerie de Seillans (12, Ancien Chemin de Fayence,
83440 Seillans; lamagnaneriedeseillans.fr) is located in a historic
building immaculately restored by its owner, a Belgian designer. The
small hotel has three rooms, two suites and two apartments, and
the interior is a masterful blend of the historic and contemporary,
with remarkable attention to every detail of the design. Each room
is a work of art, and the ground floor also has an art gallery.
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The Villa E-1027
Photo by SarahVstk
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